Onward and Foward
by lifeinapizzabox
Summary: Hermann Gottlieb transfers from Durmstrang to Hogwarts before his third year. He immediately meets Newt Geiszler, and is completely put off by their interactions with Mako and Tendo. He hates them so much, but eventually they come to find a common ground. This will take place during third year, and eventually continue until at least the end of their time at Hogwarts.
1. Prologue

_**Author's Note:**__ To go along with Pacific Rim canon, there will be points when Hermann and Newt speak German, to each other or otherwise. Rather than state this every time or try and use a translator, and in turn make many of you translate, I am going to use standard quotation marks for English ( " " ) and a symbol I found that works for German ( _**‹‹ ›› **_). I don't plan on saying this at the beginning of every chapter, but I will at least do it on chapters where I use heavy German._

_There are more spoiler-y notes at the end of the chapter. __Thank you to my wonderful beta Aino who is always available to listen to me rant about headcanons and bounce ideas off._

_To: Headmistress Minerva McGonagall›_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Scotland_

_From: Hermann Gottlieb_

_Garmisch-Partenkirchen__, Germany_

_Dear Headmistress McGonagall,_

_I am a student at the Durmstrang Institute and will be commencing my third year this September. I would like to request permission to transfer to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for this coming year. While my siblings all attend Durmstrang and wish to continue to do so, my father will be stationed in London for the foreseeable future, qualifying each of us to study at Hogwarts._

_While Durmstrang is an exemplary institution in many regards, it lacks the specialties in Transfiguration and Arithmancy which I wish to pursue. As I will have the necessary location to attend Hogwarts as of this summer, I hope you consider my request to transfer._

_Thank you very much for your consideration._

_Regards,_

_Hermann Gottlieb_

Hermann sealed the letter and attached it to his owl. She ruffled her grey feather, holding out a leg obligingly.

‹‹Meet me in London, Rosalind,**››** he said, rubbing his fingers on her head. She hooted softly and flew out the window of their now empty home. She was a smart bird, she would find her way back with ease. His mother had trained all of her owls well. She was born without magic – which he vastly preferred over the term squib – but had a gift with the birds that always hinted at a different manifestation of magic in it of itself.

He looked around the empty room he had been raised in. He picked up the box his father had charmed to hold all of his things and walked downstairs.

Bastien and Dietrich were in the hall from the kitchen to the side door. Bastien sitting on the edge of his trunk, Dietrich leaning against the wall with his broom tucked snuggly against his armpit. Bastien had been packed and ready to start his first year at Durmstrang since May. Now August, he wasn't any less prepared to move, and, much to Father's pleasure, he had no intentions of attending Hogwarts after the relocation.

Hermann still hadn't shared his own plans.

‹‹Didn't father say to pack inconspicuously?**›› **he asked, setting his cardboard box next to their trunks.

‹‹Didn't the law say you aren't supposed to use magic until you graduate?**›› **Dietrich retorted.

‹‹Father did the charm,**›› **Hermann answered dismissively.

‹‹Yes, and you expect me to believe he was prepared for you to put your trunk into that small, beat up box?**››**

‹‹I expanded on it. I don't see a problem.**››**

‹‹I could report you.**››**

‹‹It's not like you have any power.**››** Dietrich had graduated in the spring and immediately started working for the Department of Magic Abuse and Misuse. If he was asked to take lunch orders, it was a busy day, and Hermann loved reminding Dietrich about how their father's infamous look of disappointment was no longer trained on himself.

‹‹I will before you graduate. Whether it's me or someone else, you won't slip under the radar forever. Mark my words.**››**

‹‹Boys, boys, can't we get along for our few hours left together?**›› **Karla commented as she came down the steps, maintaining her role as the eternal peace keeper of the four. **‹‹**Dear Dietrich will be a big boy with his own apartment here in a few hours while we are all still condemned to live under the same roof as Lars Gottlieb for years longer yet.**››**

‹‹Oh stop complaining, you'll be free in two years. Some of us have more than a single summer left,**›› **Hermann complained.

Karla walked over to Hermann and put her duffle bag down next to his. She was by far the most connected to the muggle world of all of them. She had also been the closest with their mother, and she had made a point of learning about muggle culture and teaching any of her children who still cared enough to listen – just Hermann and Karla in the end. Hermann had been too young to appreciate it when she died, but he was beginning to realize how caught between the magic of her pureblood family that she wished she had and the obliviousness of the muggles to the magic surrounding them she craved just as much.

It had been 3 years now, and in a way, Karla had taken her place. She didn't mother them, but she insisted on bringing muggle items into the house. She taught Hermann how they worked at night and disassembled them in her free time. She used magic to improve their technology and their technology to improve her magic. Lars hated it. Hermann suspected that was half the pleasure for her.

She was also the only one who knew of Hermann's plans to transfer. He didn't doubt she wouldn't do the same if she had more than two years left. It was difficult for her to learn what she wanted at such an anti-muggle school, but it provided her a great opportunity to cause trouble.

‹‹Hopefully it will be sooner. You could always get lucky and graduate early, start your own life.**›› **Attend another school. It wasn't spoken, but they both knew it was the truth. Lars wouldn't hesitate to ostracize him if he stopped attending Durmstrang. Summer vacation was going to be brutal from here on out.

‹‹I can't even use magic until I'm 17. How could I venture off on my own?**››**

‹‹Exceptions to every rule.**››**

‹‹I'm not exceptional.**›› **Karla choked on her breath at this, trying to hold back laughter. She was about to reply when Lars walked through the footsteps. Dietrich and Bastien had long since started their own conversation, and it too ceased the second they realized his presence.

‹‹I told you to pack inconspicuously,**›› **Lars said to Karla.

"This is inconspicuous," she replied switching to English to irritate him. He merely rolled his eyes, apparently deciding it was not worth the fight on moving day. "I wasn't sure how we would be traveling, and at least I can explain to wizards that it's a form of magical bag. It'd be much harder to pass off something – say a broomstick – to muggles, don't you think?"

Dietrich shifted uncomfortably when his father's gaze trained on him.

‹‹Yes what do you plan to do about that?**›› **he asked his eldest son.

‹‹I can disillusion it. That was always the plan for my broom and trunk.**›› **Bastien nudged him, a nervous look on his face. **‹‹**Bastien's too,**›› **he added. **‹‹**He has to go further, but there is really no reason to ask him to repack, Father.**››**

"Kiss ass," Karla muttered. Hermann cringed, hoping his father wouldn't understand. The four of them spoke far better English than their father, so there was hope.

‹‹We do not speak English in this household,**›› **he finally snapped. It appeared he missed what she said, but Lars was still going to keep control of the situation.

"Just trying to remain inconspicuous, Father. Fly under the radar. We are moving to England, after all." With that she slipped past him and opened the door.

‹‹We should be going. I get motion sick if we still have to travel in the dark.**›› **Hermann was relieved when she finally switched to German. He sometimes worried about his sister's fate after her graduation. Lars wouldn't have to put up with her after she turned 17.

‹‹Won't we get there with plenty of time? It isn't that far,**›› **Bastien chimed up, an expectant smile on his face. He looked between Dietrich and Lars, eager for the praise he lived off.

‹‹Have to drop me off,**›› **Dietrich said, reaching down to ruffle his hair, **‹‹**but you should still be okay.**››**

His father nodded. He waved his wand, and the curtains in the kitchen flew shut, blocking out the remaining light. Karla held open the door for the four of them, Hermann leaving last. He looked behind them with a small smile. He was done with them. He was truly going to have his chance to be free of Lars this year. He wasn't sure what it would cost him, but surely he would be safe at Hogwarts, the school that accepted not only muggle-borns, but his magicless mother as one in the same.

Karla let the door slam behind them, draping an arm over Hermann's shoulders.

"Onward and forward, little brother. Onward and forward."

_Dear Mr. Gottlieb,_

_I have reviewed your request and am happy to let you know you have been approved to transfer on account of your mother's excellent history with the school._

_Enclosed is a list of materials we request every student provides and a train ticket for the Hogwarts Express. You are expected to arrive at Platform 9 and ¾ no later than 11:00 am. The train will not wait for you. Upon your arrival, do not board the boats with the first year students but the carriages. Professor Mori will be waiting for your arrival and to go into more detail on how your situation will be handled._

_We look forward to your arrival._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress_

‹‹Absolutely not!**›› **Lars yelled, pacing cross the kitchen floor of their new home. He kicked one of the empty boxes that had been transported the muggle way. It skidded across the floor to join a large pile of collapsed boxes that still needed to be recycled.

‹‹It's done, Father. I've talked to both schools, and everyone agrees it is for the best. Durmstrang is not where I belong,**›› **Hermann replied, doing his best to remain calm. He choked back tears. He would not let his father have the satisfaction of that weakness.

‹‹Gottliebs belong at Durmstrang. They have for generations.**››**

‹‹And Renalds belong at Hogwarts. Everyone in Mother's family attended–**››**

‹‹You are a Gottlieb, not a Renald,**›› **Lars interrupted. **‹‹**You know nothing about your mother or her family. You know nothing about Hogwarts. You belong where people can keep an eye on you.**››**

‹‹I know that Stacker Pentecost is one of the most revolutionary transfigurists to walk the planet. He has done more research than anyone else. He can help me.**››**

‹‹Help you?**››**

‹‹You need to accept that I can do this. Please, Father. I want to learn to control it.**››**

‹‹You told me you had it under control.**››**

‹‹I can do better. I have to learn.**››**

‹‹Learn to be a freak?**››** Lars's eyes held fury and he took a step towards Hermann.

‹‹Learn to be a metamorphagi, to take advantage of my powers instead of fearing them.**››**

‹‹You talk about your gifts, but you are a freak, a mistake. You shouldn't be like this. Normal wizards can't change their looks at will.**››**

‹‹Mother wasn't a normal witch!**››**

‹‹Your mother wasn't a witch at all! You are a mutation and an embarrassment to the Gottlieb name. Just like her.**››**

The cabinets behind them exploded, dozens of plates, teacups, and bowls flying at his father. He deflected them with ease, and Hermann raised his hands to protect his face.

‹‹You can't even control your magic. You can't–**››**

‹‹I can't control it because I spend all of my energy choking down what is a part of me. I am going to Hogwarts and I am going to actually learn. I will learn from the best, from those who took in my _freak_ of a mother and taught her she could be accepted.**››**

‹‹You think they accepted her? They shunned her. She cleaned the owleries. She didn't take classes.**››**

‹‹Things change.**››**

‹‹Not that much.**›› **Lars took a step towards Hermann who immediately took a step back. **‹‹**You go. You'll see. Things never change. Maybe this is a lesson you need to teach yourself.**››**

‹‹She wasn't a freak. Say it. You've changed in the past three years. You think Dietrich is the only one who remembers, but Karla and I remember the day. We saw what you did. I don't care if she volunteered. Karla is right. You killed her. You killed her, but you once loved her. You once loved all of us.**››**

‹‹You have no idea what you are talking about.**›› **Lars grabbed his arm, digging his fingers into the flesh above his elbow. **‹‹**You have no idea what I went through.**››**

‹‹You murdered my mother trying to bring out her magic. Karla told me you came to accept her lack of magic, but it always bothered you, didn't it?**›› **Hermann challenged. He could be hurtful. He had learned from the best. **‹‹**You live with that, though. You call me a freak. You keep pushing me away, pushing all of us away, and you will see that Karla and I? We're all you have left of her. Dietrich is your son through and through, and Bastien? Maybe he will come to his own. Maybe he will continue to follow Dietrich. But you have lost us.**››**

Lars released his arm and shoved him away, but Hermann kept standing. His eyes were burning again, but not out of a threat of crying, rather changing shape and color to be brown and friendly like his mother's over cold and blue like his father's.

‹‹Do you even remember what I look like? How you told me to change when she died? I wasn't a freak then.**››**

‹‹You don't deserve to live in my house,**›› **he snapped.

‹‹Tomorrow at 11 I'm gone then. I'll ask Karla to come. She's the only one who will be able to figure out muggle transportation anyway. No one else cares.**››**

Hermann walked up stairs, collapsing against the railing, the adrenaline flooding out of him. Karla walked over and sat next to him.

"You're braver than I am."

"I'm dumber than you are," he replied. "I have years to spend here still."

"You can spend summers with me," she offered, leaning against his shoulder. "Until then, we have each other."

"Maybe nine and a half months will be long enough for him to forget."

"He doesn't forget." Hermann nodded, and they sat there in silence for a moment, listening to their father working downstairs, the tinkle of repairing china by magic, the slam of cabinet doors as he put them away by hand.

"I've missed those eyes," Karla whispered, closing her own. "Oh how I have missed those eyes."

_**Author's Note: **__So I will be mixing Pacific Rim characters and Harry Potter characters. There will be names you recognize from both, but as this falls between the Golden Trio and Next Generation, it will primarily be professors or relatives used from the HP universe._

_That being said, this is primarily going to focus on Newt and Hermann. Newt identifies as genderqueer and uses they/them pronouns and Hermann identifies as bigender but does not yet to label himself as such. Also, Hermann has yet to sustain his injury. I'm not ignoring it, I swear. I just have plans for it._

_I have two more chapters written and one will go up this weekend. I hope to establish a regular schedule once my classes settle down a bit._


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes: **I have no will power and if I have a chapter written, I can't just have it sitting there all polished and ready to be posted on my computer. Another reminder that I'm using these funny things (**‹‹ ››**) for German dialogue and (" ") for English dialogue.

Thank you to everyone that read the last chapter. I appreciate all of you. Also, big thanks to my wonderful beta Aino. This chapter would not be anywhere near where it is without her.

"Go, go, go," Newt's uncle yelled. Newt skidded around the corner, the cart pulling them more than they were pushing it. They were drawing out quite a few nasty looks. "Get to the platform. I'll join you if it doesn't close." He lowered his voice for the next part, but Newt caught the beginning before his voice was cut off before they plunged into the wall between platforms nine and ten. "Jacob will have my head if this kid misses–"

Usually their father joined them and Uncle Illia on the platform, but he was travelling, leaving the two of them in charge of a detailed list he had given them the day he left. Over a week ago. They had spent the previous day running around Diagon Alley, desperately trying to collect all of the things Newt needed for school. Then it was packing through the night with hardly enough time to eat, sleeping hadn't even crossed their mind. It was miraculous they had made it.

Still, Uncle Illia stepped onto the platform so close to the time that it made Newt wonder if people could get caught in the barrier. Certainly would be an interesting sight for the muggles going about their morning commute.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked, giving Newt a nudge towards the train. "Get on, we didn't rush here just for you to watch it leave."

"Ah yes, but we did get here. That must be worth something," Newt said, yanking their trunk off the cart.

"Maybe," he contested, "but seeing as your father told us exactly how to make it possible with plenty of time to spare, I don't know how much your 'something' is worth."

"Bye, Uncle Illia," they laughed, giving him a quick hug before hauling their trunk up onto the front of the red steam engine.

As the train lurched forward, they slowly made their way to the rear of the train, keeping an eye out for their friends or an open compartment. About halfway down, they surrendered to the weight of their trunk and pulled open a door with only one inhabitant.

"Hi," they said, slightly out of breath. The student inside was gangly and pale wearing a sweater that seemed to hang off his frame, making it hard to tell if they were thin or the fact that they were swimming in the fabric made them look that way. "Mind if I–"

"Newton Geiszler," a familiar voice called. Newt looked out of the compartment and smiled seeing Mako and Tendo walking down the aisle.

"Hang on one sec," Newt said. They abandoned their trunk in the middle of the hall, pulling the two into a hug.

"Where are you sitting? I didn't see you," they explained, stepping back to look at their closest friends.

"No where really," Mako replied with a shrug. "We left our trunks with the Beckets towards the back, but it was pretty cramped. Plus, we got worried as anyone does when they haven't heard your voice in five minutes."

"It's been four months!" Newt protested.

"And what a peaceful four months it's been," Tendo said. "Now, was that, by chance, a compartment you have?"

"Only if you help me grab my damn trunk."

"Fair enough." Tendo and Mako each grabbed an end while Newt poked their head into the compartment once more.

"Sorry about that. Let's try this again," they said, leaning against the doorframe. "Mind if I – well, now we – join you?"

They looked up from their book again to nod, watching as Newt dropped their bag on the ground and Tendo and Mako stashed the trunk under one of the benches. Newt sat, extending their arm when Tendo tried to sit next to them.

"Seat's taken," they said with a bad accent.

"What are you doing?" He didn't hesitate to sit on Newt's arm which they immediately wriggled out from under the boy.

"Forrest Gump," their compartment mate answered, not bothering to glance up from the book this time.

"You know your muggle movies, I'm impressed," Newt said, looking at them.

"My sister's a fan."

"So what's your name? What's your story? I don't think I've seen you around before."

"Hermann Gottlieb." Well, at leastthat answered one of the – Gottlieb? Newt looked at him, sliding forward slightly in their seat. They were about to ask more about his family when Tendo beat them to the next question.

"First year?" Tendo asked. Newt doubted it. They may not have ever seen him around Hogwarts, but he was far too tall and something about his demeanor just made Newt sure he was older.

"Third, actually."

"Really? What house?" Newt took back over again.

"I don't have one yet. I've just transferred from Durmstrang," he explained. He wasn't making eye contact, and Newt couldn't help but stare at him, doing all they could to take advantage of any moment his eyes flicked away from the now closed book he was turning over in his hands.

"Durmstrang? How do you know Forrest Gump? I would never–"

"Stop it you two. You're interrogating him," Mako interrupted. "My name is Mako Mori. I'm a fourth year in Gryffindor, and I do all I can to keep these two out of trouble."

"She makes herself sound modest. She is the best beater Gryffindor quidditch has seen in years, and she still manages to top all of us but Newt in classes," Tendo commented.

"Oh good, there are more of you," Hermann muttered. Newt choked out a stunned laugh. Had that really just left his mouth? Newt had been getting the impression he was shy, quiet, but apparently he had another side. They liked it. It made him significantly more interesting.

"Well, he's Tendo Choi. You'll be hearing quite a bit from him, he's taking over commentating for quidditch this year. We don't expect much."

"We're really just hoping he isn't too biased towards the Hufflepuffs," Mako chimed in.

"I'm only biased towards you," Tendo quipped, wiggling his eyebrows. She swatted him, and he put a pained look on his face even though it couldn't have hurt that badly. Mako held back around them, knowing they couldn't take it. Newt appreciated it more than they let on.

"And my name is–"

"Newton Geiszler," Hermann said. "You left the compartment door open and your voice carries. Let me guess, you're a seeker? Probably for Gryffindor. Don't have the build for much else."

"Newt. Third year. Ravenclaw. I do stats. I can't fly for the life of me, but I love the sport. I guess you were close." Hermann made a noncommittal noise as a response so Newt continued. "So you said Gottlieb? Like Lars Gottlieb?"

"He would be my father, yes."

"Dude, he is one of the greatest researchers of the decade. His work on the magical properties of dragon blood haven't been matched since Albus Dumbledore himself." Newt was practically vibrating. They wondered how much Hermann knew, how much he could teach them. It could be an incredible experience.

"I've heard," he replied flatly.

"I bet it's incredible to live with him. Have you seen dragons? Have you travelled?"

"He works with samples, not live creatures, Newton."

"Plus, no one has travelled like you have," Tendo cut in, clearly bored with their conversation. "Tell us about your adventures this summer. Some of us were stuck at home cooking their way through the recipe book all summer."

"You do make the best muffins in Britain," Mako said.

"That doesn't make them interesting."

"Cause delicious isn't enough." Newt used that to launch into a story about a strange wizard with a collection containing over one hundred pan flutes. They had played in harmony until one decided to sing it's own tune. Eventually the whole collection had rebelled and sang a hundred different melodies. That's when Newt's uncle had been called, working with the flutes and the owner to convince them to compromise on the tunes.

They passed the time quickly, regaling their adventures of the summer. Tendo was talking about spending all his free time with five younger siblings – three of whom were joining them at Hogwarts this year.

"Trouble, the lot of them," Tendo said.

"Yes, we all know you are the portrait child," Mako replied. He stuck his tongue out at her.

"I will never understand what possessed them to have triplets."

"I don't think they had a lot of choice," she answered again. The three of them always interacted like this, taking each other down when necessary. Some people found them intimidating to converse with as they all had something that could be considered intimidating – Tendo was loud and abrasive, Newt was too intelligent for their own good, and Mako was mostly just intimidating. Instead of finding this hindering, they used it to frequently take each other down a peg.

"Well, they could have stopped with me," Tendo suggested.

"What a great idea. I'm really not sure why anyone would want another child after dealing with you," Newt added.

"Hey. I–"

"am a handful now, let alone as a child?" Mako offered.

"As much as I love you two ganging up on me, I have to interrupt this session to go and change into my robes. It's getting dark, so we can't be far now."

Newt nodded, picking up the bag that had remained untouched since they found the compartment. They turned to Hermann who had been silent since the beginning of their trip. He had made quite the dent in his book, and Newt almost felt bad interrupting.

"Hey, Hermann?" He looked up. "Do you mind watching our things? We need to go change."

"If you don't mind, can I join you? I need to switch into robes as well, and I'm not sure where to do that."

"Of course, we'll just do it in shifts. Mako, Tendo, you guys head out since you have to grab your things from Raleigh and Yancy. We'll hang here." Tendo winked at Newt an action they desperately hoped Hermann didn't notice – he had a very flirtatious sense of humor to put it nicely. Newt didn't want this wait to be more uncomfortable than it was bound to be.

Newt shifted uncomfortably in their seat, picking at a loose string in the fabric covering. Part of them wanted to reopen the conversation about dragons from earlier, but Hermann really hadn't seemed interested.

"You said you went to Durmstrang? What convinced you to change?"

"My father moved us to London this summer. My siblings decided to stay, but I decided to try something new."

"Move from where?"

"Germany."

‹‹No way! I was raised in Berlin.**›› **Their German was rusty. Despite their best attempts to maintain fluency, it had been hard since they left Berlin. The occasional trips to Germany just weren't enough practice.

‹‹Small world,**›› **Hermann replied.

‹‹I mean, we left when I was five and set up shop just in Wales, but my mother still lives there. Not that I've seen her since I was two, but you win some you lose some. We travel a lot, and well, the muggle community just doesn't cross paths like the wizarding.**›› **They knew they were rambling, but it just sort of happened. A full life story at a simple response.

"Muggle?" Hermann asked.

"Yeah, both my parents are. My uncle's a muggleborn like myself. I never would have qualified for Durmstrang." They hesistated at the joke, a thought crossing their mind. "That's not a problem, is it?"

"Of course not."

"Okay, good. Some people can be strange about it."

"I understand taboo," Hermann said. "My mother was a pureblood, but she was born without magic."

"Like a squib?"

Hermann's eyes darkened, and Newt knew they made a mistake. A lot of social cues went over their head, but they could tell when someone was irritated.

"I'd rather you not use that term. She heard it negatively far too much. I'm sure you understand," he snapped. Newt cringed at that, but they bounced back.

"Is she," they trailed off, realizing it was far too much of an invasive question in the middle of asking.

"Gone. Three years ago."

"I guess we have that in common." Hermann nodded slowly. Newt couldn't tell if he was agreeing or not.

Mako yanked open the door, taking them both by surprise.

"Thank you, m'lady," Tendo said, bounding in. "You two should hurry, you can see the lights of Hogsmeade."

Hermann followed Newt down through the train, slipping into one of the restrooms to change. He sat on the toilet, taking a moment to press his hands into his eyes and take deep breaths. He was not going to cry. He could get through this.

At the same time, he couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that he had made a mistake. He hadn't even made it through the train ride without losing control of his powers, his eyes changing colors. It must not have been drastic as Newt didn't comment on it, but it was still too much. He couldn't mess up like that.

He tried to tell himself it was okay, he was just stressed. It was going to be okay.

It was all a lie. He hated them so much. It felt like Tendo and Newt had been mocking him – especially when Newt had slipped into his fumbling German. Mako had stood up for him, but he couldn't be around her, not with those two. He couldn't do this. He couldn't handle this.

He stood up, slipping into his robes. He took one more minute to splash water on his face and look into the mirror to get his mind under control.

"You're going to be okay," he told the mirror. "You made the right decision." The mirror looked as unconvinced as ever.

He sighed and walked out of the bathroom. Newt was either still changing or had already headed back, so Hermann decided to take matters into his own hands. It couldn't be hard to find his way back down the straight corridor.

He pulled open the door and was surprised to see Mako with a head of bright blue hair. He sat down, unable to take his eyes off her.

"Blue is definitely your color," Tendo said.

"Maybe just the ends." She relaxed and it shifted back to black, just the tips of the front remaining blue. She looked at Hermann who was still staring at her, stunned. It was so different than what he did. The relaxation verses the concentration. It seemed so natural to her.

"Never seen a metamorphmagus?" she joked, gently nudging his shoulder.

"No– it's just… I–" He was cut off by Newt entering the room, robes billowing dramatically.

"Did you leave me in the bathroom?" Hermann took the distraction to slide a little bit further from Mako on their shared seat.

"I thought you had already left," he muttered. Newt shrugged it off and plopped into the seat across from him once again.

"What if I had been stuck? What if I was stranded in the bathroom?"

"The prefects would have found you eventually," Mako answered.

"Not that we would have wanted them to," Tendo added. He leaned back in his seat and gave a dramatic sigh. "When are we going to get there? I'm famished."

Apparently Tendo announced his hunger at just the right moment as the train rolled to a stop at Hogsmeade. They quickly unloaded, and Hermann was able to slip away, hoping to get a carriage to himself on the ride up to the castle.

He would have too if it wasn't for the thestrals. He'd only ever read about them, but now one was looking right at him. He stepped towards it, holding out a hand that it leaned into.

"New friend," Tendo called from a few feet back. "We thought you'd given us the slip."

Mako had come to stand next to him without him realizing it. "They're something, aren't they?"

"Something I never wanted to see." She nodded in agreement and they walked to the carriage together.

"What were you doing up there?" Newt asked.

"Trying to figure out what was going to pull the carriages," Hermann replied smoothly.  
"Magic."

"That's what I told him," Mako said. He gave her a thankful smile and she nodded. She understood. She'd lost someone too.

"You think he would have thought that immediately," Tendo commented. "I don't know what they teach at that Durmstrang, but we are clearly superior."  
"After watching him, the one you declared as the best, I really have to wonder," he told Tendo.

"They, dude. I use they."  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermann apologized, turning red.

"No issue. I don't expect you to read minds."

"We all have some tricks up our sleeves," he responded with a small smile.

"Care to divulge?" Newt asked.

"Not as long as you are at the top. I can't reveal my secrets until I take my rightful place." Excuses. He had spent years hiding himself, it was natural now to let these words slip out. He wasn't ready to be as carefree with what he could do. He wasn't ready to be Mako. Maybe after some time here, though, he could be. Maybe he wasn't totally wrong.

"Oh, I like you," Tendo said. "I like you quite a bit. We've all been waiting years for someone to rival him."

"We will see," Newt replied, looking at Hermann. He turned to the window, not comfortable with being their focus. "We will see."

**Notes: **Yay more characters! I hope to keep introducing Pacific Rim characters in the next few chapters – I'm going to avoid OCs as much as I can. Just for reference, Mako is a fourth year and Newt and Tendo are both third years. When Tendo made the comment about how Mako was topping them academically, he was referring to the fact that Newt does all they can to be placed into courses for years above where they are supposed to be. I'll get into that a bit more later.

I've never really written young teenagers like they are (let me tell you, it's hard restraining Tendo's sexual innuendos), so it's quite the experience. Let me know if you have any questions. I love talking about this universe, my headcanons, and pretty much anything. You can find me in the comments here or on a href=" .com"my tumblr/a.


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